System and method for management of various works in hospitals

Abstract

There is disclosed a medical management system which generally manages an operation situation of each apparatus by a mode called a the, and manages a flow of all medical works executed by the system in executing the medical work relating to a patient in the system as an object.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system to be connected via a network to a plurality of medical systems installed in a medical institution, configured to manage various works performed at the medical systems, said system comprising: 
 a memory which stores information items relating to work processes performed in the medical systems, each item representing the sequence and conditions of one work process relating to one patient or one medical examination;    an information-updating processor which updates the information item stored in the memory to one that represents the present state of the work process; and    a transmitter which transmits display information to the medical systems through the network, the display information causing the medical system to display the information items updated on the present state of each of the work processes in such a display mode as to represent the present state of each of the work process relating to one patient or one medical examination.    
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein each medical system comprises: 
 a display device which displays states of the work processes being performed at any medical systems;    a process-selecting device which is operated to select each of work processes displayed by said display device; and    a processor that performs the work process selected by operating said process-selecting device.    
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , which further comprises: an input device which is operated to input data for updating the sequences of the work processes displayed by the display device, and in which said information-updating processor updates the information items stored in said memory in accordance with the data input from said input device.  
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein said display device controls the number of steps of each work process which is displayed and constitutes each of the information items on the basis of a preset condition.  
     
     
         5 . A system for managing various works in a medical institution, which comprises a plurality of medical devices or terminal devices which are connected to a network and a host computer which controls, via the network, works performed by using the medical devices or terminal devices, 
 said host computer comprising:    a memory which stores information representing sequential steps of at least one process defining a prescribed work relating to medical service and conditions in which the medical devices or terminal devices are to perform the prescribed work;    an information-selecting device which selects and reads work information about a work performed on a patient, from said memory in accordance with diagnostic data input;    a processor which controls, in accordance with the selected work information, the sequence of a process, which is defined by the work information about the work performed on the patient;    a controller which controls the medical devices or terminal devices as said processor controls the sequence of a process; and    a transmitter which transmits the work information selected by said information-selecting device and representing the state of the work being performed, to the medical devices or terminal devices,    wherein said medical devices or terminal devices comprise display devices, respectively, which display the work information at the same time.    
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein each of said medical devices or terminal devices further comprises an input device which is operated to input alteration information configured to update the work information displayed by said display device; 
 said host computer further comprises a receiver which receives the alteration information from said input device, through the network; and    said processor updates the work information in accordance with the alteration information received by said receiver.    
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein said display device controls the number of steps of each work process which is displayed and constitutes each of the information items on the basis of a preset condition for each of the medical devices or terminal devices.  
     
     
         8 . A system for managing various works in a medical institution, which comprises a plurality of medical devices or terminal devices which are connected to a network and a host computer which controls, via the network, works performed by using the medical devices or terminal devices, 
 said host computer comprising:    a memory which stores information representing the sequential steps of at least one process defining a prescribed work relating to medical service and the conditions in which the medical devices or terminal devices are able to perform the prescribed work;    an information-selecting device which selects and reads work information about a work performed on a patient, from the memory in accordance with diagnostic data input;    an information-updating processor which updates the work information to one representing the work now being performed in each of the medical device or terminal devices, in response to information that represents the present state of each medical device or terminal device and is transmitted from each medical device or terminal device connected to the network; and    a transmitter which transmits the work information updated by said information-updating processor to said medical devices or terminal devices, and    each of said medical devices and terminal devices comprising:    a display device which displays the sequence of the work process represented by the work information selected by said information-selecting device and transmitted from said transmitter;    a controller which controls a process defined by the work information; and    a transmitter which transmits information representing a state of the work being performed on the patient, to said host computer through the network.    
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein each of said medical devices and terminal devices further comprises an input device which is operated to input data for updating the sequences of the work process displayed by the display device, and in which the information-updating processor updates the sequence of the work process in accordance with the data input by said input device.  
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein the number of steps of each work process, which is displayed by said display device, is controlled by a condition preset for each of said medical devices or terminal devices.  
     
     
         11 . A method of managing various works performed at medical systems installed in a medical institution, by using a system connected to the medical systems via a network, said method comprising: 
 updating information items relating to the work processes performed in the medical systems, each of the information items corresponding to one patient or one medical inspection and representing the sequence and conditions of the work process; and    transmitting display information to the medical systems through the network, the display information causing the medical system to display the information items updated on the present state of each of the work processes in such a display mode as to represent the present state of each of the work process relating to one patient or one medical examination.    
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising: displaying the state of the work process being performed at any medical system that have received the display information, and 
 performing a corresponding process in response to selection indication to each of the displayed work processes.    
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the information item representing the sequence of the work process is updated when the sequence is changed,.  
     
     
         14 . The method, wherein the number of steps of each work process, which is displayed, is controlled by a prescribed condition.  
     
     
         15 . A method of managing various works performed by a plurality of medical devices or terminal devices connected to a network, said method comprising: 
 changing the sequence of a work process which is defined by work information relating to one patient or one medical inspection, in accordance with work information which includes an information item representing the sequential steps of at least one process defining a prescribed work relating to medical service and an information item representing the conditions in which the medical devices or terminal devices are able to perform the prescribed work;    controlling the medical devices or terminal devices in accordance with the sequence of a work process, thus changed; and    displaying, at each of the medical devices or terminal devices, the work information which represents the state of the work process being performed.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the information item representing the sequence of the work process is updated when the sequence is changed,  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the number of steps of each work process, which is displayed, is controlled by a prescribed condition.